Expert certifies good living conditions Koi threatened with death if removed from Chinese ship

An expert from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) attests to good living conditions for the ten koi on the Chinese ship in Bonn-Beuel. If they were to leave the ship, they would be threatened with certain death.

 "The fish are doing well": Robert Jungnischke certifies to Huan Fu Zhang that nothing has to be changed in their living conditions in the tank.

"The fish are doing well": Robert Jungnischke certifies to Huan Fu Zhang that nothing has to be changed in their living conditions in the tank.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

The tenant of the Chinese ship, Huan Fu Zhang, can be happy again. He will probably be able to keep his ten koi fish on board the floating restaurant Ocean Paradise. Germany's only publicly appointed and sworn expert for koi husbandry, Robert Jungnischke, confirmed on Wednesday in Beuel that "the fish are doing well. They are in a splendid condition. Their living conditions on the ship do not need to be changed.”

A restaurant guest had reported Huan Fu Zhang to the city for not keeping the koi in an appropriate manner. As a result, the Veterinary Office had initiated proceedings, which ultimately resulted in a catalogue of demands for the fish owner – with a deadline of 11 December and the threat of an administrative order, including imposition of a fine, in the event of non-compliance. Zhang called in the Beuel town councillor Reiner Burgunder and asked him for help. Burgunder and Zhang then commissioned the Beuel lawyer Werner Koch.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BONN

Carp in the bathtub

At the end of 1978/early 1979, preparations for the Federal Garden Show in Bonn were in full swing. This included the construction of the Japanese Garden as a gift from Japan to the then federal capital. Claus Werner Müller remembers that everything necessary for the construction of such a garden was imported from Japan. One day, two engineers arrived from Japan and brought koi for the pond. Since the body of water was not yet ready, the Japanese put the carp in the bathtub at the Hotel Aigner. Hans Jörg Hunkler, Director of Horticulture, called in the municipal veterinary office and let them check the fishes’ accommodation. Everything was fine and the Pleimes pet shop took care of the fish. The koi lived in the bathtub for weeks until they were released into the Rheinaue.

The dispute between the town and Huan Fu Zhang triggered a nationwide ripple through social media, which is why several television stations have already come to Beuel to report on Mr. Zhang's koi. "We would not have thought that this topic would trigger such a response," Burgunder told the GA.

Josef Bertram, Koi dealer from Meckenheim, also travelled to Beuel to give his expert opinion and found that "the fish and the tank make a healthy impression. When keeping koi, it is not the amount of water that is important, but the water quality, and that is good."

The expert appointed by the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry explained to all those involved that there are no statutory requirements for private fish keepers. "In this matter it is important to pay attention to questions of terminology. Something somehow gets mixed up and half-truths are spread. Mr. Zhang cannot be expected to produce a certificate of competence, as required by the city of Bonn. Then each private aquarium owner would have to be requested to do just the same, said Jungnischke.

The city had overstretched themselves in their overzealousness and obviously overreacted concerning the conditions, said Jungnischke. He warned against moving the fish: "If the koi have been accustomed to this tank and water quality since 2004, moving them to different water is tantamount to a death sentence. The koi woouldn’t survive that."

Huan Fu Zhang wants to keep in touch with Bertam and Jungnischke. He is very keen that his ten koi will continue to thrive in the future: "If I can further improve the living conditions of the carp, I'd be happy to do so. I am very happy that the two experts have confirmed that my koi are doing well. I have been attached to the koi for many years. They are very important to me personally, as a lucky charm." On Wednesday, Zhang commissioned Jungnischke to prepare an expert opinion in order to be better protected in the event of a dispute with the city.

Huan Fu Zhang was informed by the city that an expert would come on board on Friday and assess the situation for the city administration. "If the city receives evidence that any animal husbandry may not be appropriate, we have to investigate. This has been communicated to the animal keeper very firmly, because the courts continue to demand this. Now, with the support of experts, we will look for a solution together with the pet owner. Basically, everything about how the animals are kept must be right, which is not just about a detail such as a few litres of water," explained Monika Hörig, city spokeswoman in response to GA.

(Original text; Holger Willcke, translation John Chandler)

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